by Sherri Sylvester | Dec 20, 2013
Today I’m posting a little tutorial that Allison asked for earlier this week. She’s trying to make the Super Hero Cape for her older daughter and wants it to be longer than the original pattern. Thankfully it is pretty simple to lengthen – so you can make capes for all of your big kids. Perfect quick Christmas gift! (Hint, Hint – Just sayin’!)
First you will need to print out the free Super Hero Cape pattern pieces from the original post. Grab an extra sheet of paper, some tape, a pencil and a ruler. Cut the pattern pages along the outer border – not the lines of the pattern! – the ones that are closest to the edges of your paper.
Here we go:
(Step 1) Tape the bottom of the cape pattern pieces (4 pages on the right) together as noted in the Super Hero Cape tutorial (and see illustration below). Leave a space between the top of the cape (left) and the bottom 4 pages. This gap should be equal to the amount you want to lengthen the cape.
(Step 2) Tape the extra piece of paper into your space. Re-connect top and bottom of the cape pattern lines as illustrated by the red and blue lines below.
(Step 3) Cut out your new cape pattern along the outer edges of the cape and the new lines you just created. See the blue shape in the illustration for which lines you should cut. DONE! Easy Peasy! Now you can use the Super Hero Cape tutorial to finish your cape, just check your yardage – you might need more than the tutorial calls for now that the cape is longer.
Come on back tomorrow for Sewing Survey Saturday!
by Sherri Sylvester | Dec 18, 2013
Hi again! I’ve been getting some big projects ready to show you – but until that happens (might be next week!) I thought I would share a little gift wrap idea I came up with this summer.
I’ve been waiting to use this again and Christmas gifts are the perfect place. I don’t know about you, but I hate using clear gift wrap. It’s tricky finding the right size, and it always ends up looking messy. So I decided to try sewing a bag and it worked – with no messy ending involved!
Grab some clear gift wrap from your local Dollar Store – here’s how to make one.
(Step 1) You will need to take a few measurements from your item/s. Measure and write the Gift Width, Gift Height and Gift Length down on a sheet of paper.
(Step 2) Figure out the cut size of your clear wrap (very easy math!):
- Width (A) of the clear wrap = Gift Width + Gift Length + 1″ for seam allowance
- Height (B) of clear wrap = Gift Height + Gift Length + 5″ to provide extra to tie the top of the gift
(Step 3) Now that you have your measurements:
- Place a piece of clear wrap approximately twice the Height (B) on a lint free cutting surface. (Static held my wrap to my cutting mat – which helped a lot.)
- Fold the wrap in half, crease well, and line the fold up at the bottom of your mat.
- Cut the Width (A) and Height (B) – do not cut off the fold. Use an old rotary blade or paper cutting scissors!
(Step 4) Sewing the sides.
- Grab a school glue stick. Fold both long edges under by 1/2″ and glue. Make sure your glue is the type that dries clear before you start!
- Fold the bag back in half along the bottom crease.
- Stitch along the sides with a 1/4″ seam.
(Step 5) Creating the bottom of the bag (Boxing the corners).
- Fold the bag so the side seam lines up with the bottom crease.
- Make a line perpendicular to the side seam that is the length of your “Gift Length” (from Step 2)
- Fold along the line to crease well, then fold in the opposite direction and crease well.
- Pull apart the bag and push the creased portion into the inside of the bag. Be sure to tidy the corner by pushing it out with a dull object. Basically you are turning the newly creased section inside out to hide it inside the bag.
- Line up the creased lines on the outside of the bag and stitch with a 1/8″ seam allowance.
All done!
Now, straighten your boxed corners on the inside of the bag, arrange your gift – throw in a few sparkly pompoms for good measure – tie and you’re done!
by Sherri Sylvester | Dec 14, 2013
Alright folks – It’s time for our Sewing Survey Saturday #2! But first…
The results of the first Survey are in and… it’s a tie! Apparently everyone gets most of their fabric from their Local Quilting Shop and Online. Makes sense and I think I was expecting that. I’m on the fence too – though I lean towards the Online option. I just have issues choosing colours, since the photos are not generally true to the actual colour of the fabrics – so matching is tricky. Does anyone have a solution for that? I like to make good friends with my favorite online shops so I can ask them (nicely) to (please, pretty please) tell me if what I’ve chosen matches before I buy it! Another way around that is to only buy fabrics in a certain line – so you know they match. Unfortunately I seem to be wired to make my own matches… so I will continue to love my online store owners – Thank you!
Survey #2! Here’s an easy one for right before the Holidays… Only 11 more sewing days until Christmas! (Survey is open for 1 week – check back for the results.)
[polldaddy poll=7646637]
by Sherri Sylvester | Dec 14, 2013
It’s not often that I post two winner posts back to back! It’s so much fun giving things away!
Before I get to the winner I’d like to say how amazing it was to read through everyone’s favorite Christmas memories! If you need some Christmas Holiday inspiration head on over to the post and read through the comments. Really… ! Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who entered.
The winner of the Sequined Mini Tote (as picked by Random.org) is…. #156 – Crystal who followed on Facebook. She said: “My favorite memory is santa bringing me a doll house! It was the best 😀” Watch your email Crystal!
For everyone else, check out the Sequined Mini Tote-torial – you can make one using your favorite fabrics!
by Sherri Sylvester | Dec 13, 2013
I made another Sunny Glasses Case a while ago with the most perfect fabric ever. It’s the Geekly Glasses line by Riley Blake Designs (from Double Decker Fabric). When Dorienne sent me this fabric I knew it needed to be a glasses case and I love how it turned out!
These glasses cases are about a 2 hour project – if that – and they work for anyone on your Christmas shopping list – Man, woman or child! Everyone that’s seen mine has said “You made that?!” Which is the universally known in sewing circles as meaning: “That doesn’t look handmade!” and/or “Can you make me one?!” If that is not convincing enough I’m not sure what is – ha!
Warning: If you decide to make one of these when you’ve gotten together with some friends – say at a monthly sewing night – make sure you cut your fabric the right way up! I was so mad when I realized that I cut my amazing deer fabric upside down…. argh! But, it happens – and it still holds my glasses safe and sound – and I’m not making another one, at least not right now! You can even sneak a peek of the case in the Mini Tote giveaway post from Monday – did you spot it?
I’m running to get my Christmas sewing wrapped up (hee hee!) and my wonderful husband is taking care of the kids tomorrow so I can have all day to sew – HOORAY! I’m hoping to finish before next week. But, I usually over-plan, so at least I will have next week to finish everything up! How is your holiday sewing going? What are you making? Really… I’m a super curious person!
Don’t forget to throw your two cents in for “Sewing Survey Saturday” – check out last week’s results and a new survey tomorrow!
